Apparatus for carbonating beer or other beverages



Oct- 22, 1935. F. J. c. WIECHMANN l 2,017,879 l APPARATUS FOR CARBONATING BEER OR OTHER BEVERAGES Filed Sept. 24, 1954 Patented Oct. 22, 1935 ETED STATS PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CARBONATING BEER OR OTHER BEVERAGES 7 Claims.

An object of this invention is to provide a means for automatically supplying a small stream of carbon dioxide to a quantity of beer or other carbonated beverage below its surface so as to keep the beer carbonated, said stream steadily building up pressure sufiicient for the withdrawal of beer at a slow rate, together with means for supplying to the space above the surface of the beer carbon dioxide at a much faster rate when the beer is more rapidly withdrawn.

This and other objects, as will hereinafter appear, are accomplished by this invention which is fully described in the following specification, and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a beer barrel partly in section with an embodiment of my invention applied thereto; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the automatic valve.

The embodiment illustrated comprises a beer barrel i, or the like, having a head I I into which is inserted a fitting I2 which carries a tube I3 extending to a point near the bottom of the barrel and loosely enclosing a pipe I4 which preferably extends slightly below the bottom of the tube i3. The top of the tube I3 extends above the fitting I2, and has a cap I tightly secured thereto, the capV having a lateral nipple over which is secured a piece of tubing IB, the opposite end of the tubing leading to a chamber I1 in an automatic valve assembly I8 which will later be described. The pipe I4 extends up through the cap I5 to which it is rmly secured so as to prevent the leakage of gas, the pipe leading to a spigot (not shown) from which beer may be withdrawn, the pipe It preferably having a valve I4a located near the barrel for control at that point.

The automatic valve assembly I8 is made up of two castings IS and which are secured together by means of screws 2I. Between these castings are placed two rubber diaphragms 22, 23, the former having a tiny hole 24 therein, and the latter having a larger hole 25, these holes being preferably placed at opposite portions of the diaphragrns for a purpose which will later be explained. A nipple connection 26 is provided for the chamber 21 within the casting I9 and connects through a hose 28 with a carbon dioxide tank 29, through a control valve 30 which is well known in this art. A gauge 3| shows the amount of pressure supplied to the chamber 21.

A valve 32 normally held closed by means of a spring 33 closes communication between the chamber 21 and a hose coupling 34 which connects through a hose 35 with the space 36 within the fitting I2,'this space communicating directly with the space 31 above the beer 38 in the barrel. Thus it will be seen that when the valve 30 is slightly opened carbon dioxide from the tank will pass through the hose 28, and will tend toV move 5` the diaphragm from the full line positions 22, 23

to the dotted line positions. A small amount of this gas will leak through the hole 24 and will pass between the two diaphragms, thence out through the hole and the hose I6 to the space l0 between the tube I3 and the pipe I4. This gas will then pass down until it reaches the end of the tube I3 when it will bubble up through the beer as shown. Some of this carbon dioxide will be absorbed by the beer, and some of it will pass up 15 through the beer as bubbles, thereby increasing the pressure on the surface of the beer.

Thus when the beer is slowly' withdrawn through'the pipe I4, the pressure thus generated will be suiiicient to maintain the necessary pres- 20 sure on the surface of the beer. A more rapid withdrawal of beer, however, will cause the pressure of gases in the space 31 to drop to a point where the back pressure through the hose 35 on' the valve 32 will be sucient to cause the pressure 25 in the chamber 21 to force the valve 32 off its seat, thereby allowing carbon dioxide fromthe chamber 21 to pass rapidly to the space 31 in the barrel. Thus it will be seen that a very simple and eicient means is provided for keeping a small but constant stream of carbon dioxide passing through the beer inthe barrel following each withdrawal of beer so as to maintain'it'carbonated, whereby the equality of the last of the beer issuing from the barrel is substantially the same as the first which came from the barrel. The gas will continue to ilow into the barrel through the bleeder valve 22, or the valve 21, or both, until the pressure within the barrel reaches a predetermined degree when the ow will cease until the pressure in the barrel 40 again drops due to withdrawal of beer or to leakage.

In order to prevent beer or other carbonated beverage from backing up into the valve assembly I8, or beyond, I have provided check valves in the hoses I6, 28 and 35. The check valve in the hose line 28 is shown in Fig. 2 and consists of a rubber valve 39 having an opening consisting of two flat lines 40, the valve being adapted to i'lt a necked-in portion 26a at the lower end of the 50 nipple 26.

It will be understood that the term beer as used throughout the specification and claims is intended to include al1 carborated beverages.

I claim:

1. In combination, a beer barrel, a tube extending thereinto, a source of carbon dioxide under pressure, means connected to said source for delivering a small but substantially constant stream of carbon dioxide to the beer following withdrawal of the beer beneath its surface through the tube so as to keep the beer carbonated and to build up a pressure on the surface of the beer suflicient for slow withdrawals thereof, and means connected to said source for supplying carbon dioxide to the surface `of the beer much more rapidly for rapid withdrawal thereof.

2. In combination, a beer barrel, a tube extending thereinto, a source of carbon dioxide under pressure, means including a slow leak connected to said source for delivering a small but substantially constant stream of carbonA dioxide to the beer following withdrawal of the beer beneath -its surface through the tube so as to keep thebeer carbonated and to build up a pressure on the surface of the beer sufficient for slowwithdrawals thereof, and means connected to said source for supplying carbon dioxideA to the surface of the beer much more rapidly for rapid withdrawal thereof.

3. In combination, a beer barrel, a tube' extending thereinto, a source of carbon dioxide under pressure, means including two diaphragms in contact, said diaphragms having holes therethrough spaced apart, said means being connected to said source for delivering a small but substantially constant stream of carbon dioxide to the beer following withdrawal thereof beneath its surface through the tube so as to keep the beer carbonated and to build up a pressure on the surface of theV beer sufficient for slow withdrawals thereof, and means connected to said source for supplying carbon dioxide'tov the surface of the beer much more rapidly for rapid withdrawal thereof.

4. In combinatioma beer barrel, a tube extending thereinto, a source of carbon dioxide under pressure, means including two diaphragms in Contact, said diaphragms 'having holes therethrough spaced apart, said means being connected to said source for delivering a small but substantially constant stream of carbon dioxide to the beer following withdrawal thereof beneath its surface through the tube so as to keep the beer carbonated and to build up a pressure on the surface of the beer suflicient for slow withdrawals thereof, and a pressure operated valve connected to said source for supplying carbon dioxide to the surface of the beer much more rapidly for rapid withdrawal thereof.

5. Apparatus for carbonatng beverages comprising a tube adapted to extend into a gas-tight container containing the beverage to be car- 5 bonated, a fitting surrounding the tube and adapted to t snuglyinto an opening in the top of the container, a pipe for withdrawing the beverage, a gas-controlling device having a chamber -in which is an inlet adapted for connection to a 10 container containing the beverage to be car- 20 bonated, a fitting surrounding the tube and adapted to t snugly into an opening in the top of the container, a pipe for withdrawing the beverage, the pipe extending through the tube, a gas-controlling device havinga chamber ln which 25 is an inlet adapted for connection to a. source of carbonic acid gas pressure, an outlet adapted to be connected to the fitting so as to deliver carbonic acid gas to the top of the container at a point above the level of a beverage therein, a pres- 30 sure operated valve in the outlet, and means for slowly passing gas from the chamber to the tube for carbonating the beverage.

'7. Apparatus for carbonating beverages comprising a tube adapted to extend into a gas-tight 35 container containing the beverage to be carbonated, a fitting surrounding the tube and adapted to fit snugly into an opening in the top of the container, a pipe for withdrawing the beverage, a gas-controlling device having a chamber 40 in which is an inlet adapted for connection to a source of carbonic acid gas pressure, an outlet adapted to be connected to the fitting so as to deliver carbonic acid gas to the top of the container ata point above the level of a beverage therein, 45 a pressure operated valvein the outlet, and means including two diaphragms in contact, each diaphragm having a hole therein, the holes being spaced from each other for slowly passing gas from the chamber to the tube for carbonating the 5o beverage.

FRED J. C. WIECHMANN. 

